Means for tripping buckets



No. 622,840. Patented Apr. n, 1399. A, 600K.

MEANS FOR TRIPPING BUGKETS.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l Illmlmlll lllllllllll INVENTUFf' No.622,840. Patented Apr. ll, I899.

L. A. 000K.

MEANS FOR TRIPPING BUGKETS.

I (Application filed Dec. 10, 1898 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. COOK, OF OONNEAUT, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-EIGHTHS TO GEORGEHUNT HUTOHINSON, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MEANS FOR TRIPPING BUCKETS. h

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,840, dated April11, 1899.

Application filed December 10, 1898. Serial No. 698,866. (No model.)

To aZZ whom/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. COOK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Oonneaut, in the county of Ashtabula and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for TrippingBuckets; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means for tripping the buckets in hoisting andconveying machines; and the invention consists in the construction andcombination of parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims.

The objects of the invention are, first, to

ture tripping of the bucket, and, third, to

bring the bucket within such close relation to the surface of the car orother place of dumping that unnecessary spilling or spreading of thematerial dumped is avoided.

This invention, furthermore, is designed to be used in connection withthat class of hoisting and conveying machines which have bucketssuspended from traveling carriers and which convey the material to bedumped a considerable distance from where it is received, and to thisend the carriers are caused to travel back and forth on overhead tracksby cable connections operated from a con-. veniently-locatedpower-station, and the operator or engineer is stationed at this point,where he can control the travel of the carrier and the hoisting andlowering of the bucket.

I am of course aware that tripping devices of different kinds have beenused in connection with carriers and buckets and operated by theengineer at a distantpoint to trip the bucket; but-I a'm not aware of atripping device embodying the construction and certain operation of thepresent invention or which will surely prevent a premature tripping ofthe bucketsuch, for example, as is often caused by the rapid travel ofthe carrier and the swaying of the bucket or the extreme delicacy of thetripping mechanism necessary to trip the bucket, especially whenlowering the same into a railway-car to a position where dumping can beobtained without spreading or spilling the material over the sides ofthe car.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is perspective view of a portionof a track with a carrier thereon and having the bucket suspended and intraveling position with the tripping mechanism in working relation, butstill free from the latch ofthe bucket. Fig. 2 is a similar view, butshowing the bucket tripped and the latch engaged by the trapeze. Fig. 3is a detail perspective View of a modification.

A represents the overhead tracks, with the carrier B in travelingposition thereon, the carrier having flanged wheels I) at each side toguide and carry the same. This carrier has the usual sheaves and cableconnections 0, by which it is caused to travel backward and forward, aswell as the usual pulley-block D, bucket E, bail F, and chain f. Thebucket E is pivoted to the bail F in such relation thereto that thegreater weight of the bucket ping mechanism is fully brought into play.

This tripping mechanism consists of a trapeze suspended from the longerarms 3 of a balancing-bar 4, which is pivoted at 5 to the lower part ofthe carrier B. Adjustable weights 6 on the short arms 7 serve to normally keep the trapeze 2 in raised position and also balance the whole toavoid resistance, so

that only a slight pressure is needed to draw 5 the trapeze down whendesired. This play or free movement of the trapeze is necessary to avoida premature tipping of the bucket, becausethe curved outer end of thelatch G comes within the trapeze and oftentimes en- IQO gages thecross-bar 8 of the same. This is especially true when the carrier istraveling, the rapid hoisting of the bucket and starting of the carriercausing the bucket to swing back and forth. The slack of the cablesafter the bucket has been raised and started drops the bucket again'aslight distance, and if no delicate take-up or balancing mechanism wasprovided the latch would be released and the bucket would dump itscontents prematurely. This'has often occurred, and heavy material, suchas ore, falling from the elevated position of the bucket has oftencaused loss of life. Then, again, it is desirable that the bucket shallcome down a considerable distance before the latch is tripped to avoidspilling or spreading of the material,especiall y when dumping into acar, and to this end a take-up mechanism which is always in position toengage the latch and will trip the same when the bucket is at its lowestposition is most desirable. The balancing-bar 4 and its trapeze 2furnishes this means for taking up the loose play and the bucket is nottripped until it has been lowered a sufficient distance by the operatorto draw the trapeze'down until the slack in the short cable 9, fastenedto the carrier and the end of the arm 3, is'taken up. The slightresistance of the counterbalanced trapeze against thelatch up to thistime has not been perceptibly felt, the weight of the bucket and itscontents being sufficient to bind and keep the latch in place; but whenthe trapeze is down to the limit allowed by the short cable 9, as seenin Fig. 2, the latch G is raised and the bucket dumps its contents.

Other essential features to this invention are the bracing and guidingparts, which hold the trapeze 2 and its cross-bar 8 in working relationto the latch G. These parts consist of an H-shaped frame 10, fastened tothe carrier B, and tubes 11, suspended from this frame by wire cables12. The tubes 11 are hung just above the cross-bar 8 when the trapeze isin normal position and they form guides ,for the trapeze-cables. Thesetubes, taken in connection with the cables 12, serve as braces to keepthe trapeze from swaying and hold the cross-bar 8 in place, Where thelatch G can engage the same when the bucket is lowered.

A modification of the balancing-bar 4 is shown in Fig. 3, in which anadditional angular arm 13 is utilized to engage a lug or roller 14 onthe side of the track when the carrier B travels to the left. This lugor roller 14 is placed at any point on the line of travel wherever it isdesired to dump the bucket, the arm 13 striking the roller and raisingthe bar 4 and trapeze 2, thus lifting the latch of the bucket.

- What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bucket-tripping device for hoisting and conveying machinescomprising a balancing-bar and a trapeze suspended therefrom, means tolimit the movement of said parts, and guiding and bracing members forthe trapeze, in combination with the bucket and the latch, substantiallyas described.

2. In a hoisting and conveying machine, a carrier and a bucket operatedand suspended through said carrier, and a latch for said bucket, incombination with a balancing-bar pivoted to said carrier, a dependingmember attached to said bar, said bar and member having a restrictedup-and-down movement, and guiding and bracing in cans, for said member,substantially as described.

3. In a hoisting and conveying machine, a carrier and a bucket operatedand suspended through said carrier, and a latch for said bucket, incombination with a balancing-bar having long and short arms, weights forthe short arms and a trapeze suspended from the long arms, means tolimit the movement of said bar and trapeze, guides for said trapeze, andbraces for said guides and trapeze suspended from said carrier,substantially as described.

4. In ahoisting and conveying machine, a carrier and bucket, alatch forsaid bucket, a counterweighted balancing-bar, a tripping membersuspended from said barand engaging said latch, said bar and memberhaving a free unrestricted movement in either direction after said latchhas been engaged, and means to limit the movement of said bar and memberto trip the latch, substantially as described.

5. In a hoisting and conveying machine, a carrier and a bucketoperatedand suspended through said carrier, and a latch for said bucket, incombination'with a balancing-bar pivoted to said' carrier and having asuspending member to engage said latch, a counterweight to balance saidbar and member to prevent a premature tripping of the latch when thebucket is traveling or first lowered,

and means to limit the free movement of said bar and member to finallytrip the latch, substantially as described.

-. Witness my hand to the foregoing specification this 17th day ofNovember, 1898.

, LOUIS A. COOK.

. Witnesses:

H. T. FISHER, R. B. MOSER.

IIO

